Happy New Year

Dear Isabel, Elizabeth, and Clark,

This past year has been amazing. There are so many things I am thankful for. As 2009 ends, I feel like I should remember some of the precious moments we have had so that we don’t forget how lucky we are.

Isabel – Your spunk and sense of humor is wonderful. This year you loved to tell jokes. You didn’t really get the punch lines, but you laughed hysterically anyway and that made everyone else laugh too. You love to sing and know every single word to tons of songs and even “The 12 Days of Christmas.” You wrote your name all by yourself – you are determined to be independent. This morning I found you in the refrigerator drinking milk out of the carton! You constantly slide out of your bed at night and don’t even stir when we put you back in. When Clark was in my tummy you would sing the ABCs to him. When we went to the beach this year you went out in the waves with your daddy and got made when he came back in. Every day I am proud of you.

Elizabeth - You are so sensitive to everyone around you. The other day when I bumped my head you ran to get your doctor kit and told me, “Don’t worry Mommy, I’ll take care of you!” You like to play imaginary and especially love to dress up as a princess. When Clark was in my tummy you would talk to him a lot. You are very adventurous, which is probably why you decided to touch that baby bat that found its way into your bedroom this year. After he bit you, you were such a big girl at the hospital. Now you love giving people pretend shots with your doctor kit! Even though you like an adventure, you want nothing to do with the ocean. When we went to the beach you were not happy about that big expanse of water, and I don’t blame you! There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not thankful for you.

Clark – You are sleeping beside me as I write this and just looking at you makes my heart swell with love. You are only 3 months old but already are showing signs of your personality. You haven’t started laughing yet, but you smile at everything. You love to stare at your sisters and our dog, Zeus. When you are awake you keep your hands close to you and suck on them all the time. When you sleep, you look like your daddy because your arms and legs are all sprawled out. In fact, you look a lot like your daddy all of the time! You are the cutest little boy and everyone just adores you. Your sisters just can’t wait until you are big enough to play with. They are very good helpers and always run to get you a diaper or whatever else you need. I can only imagine what this next year will bring, but I can’t wait to watch you grow.

Today is the first day of a new year. A new decade. Your daddy and I were just laughing about how you will graduate high school in 2025 an 2028. Those are dates that seem so fantastically far in the future to us, but I know they will be here before I am ready. As the world begins this new year, people everywhere are making resolutions. Some want to lose weight, to spend more time with friends and family, to get out of debt, or to stop biting their nails or whatever other bad habit they happen to have. While these are admirable and I’d certainly love to achieve these things too, I have to say that I don’t have a resolution this year. I have hopes.

I hope that this year you are safe and healthy. I hope that you will not know a moment of sadness. I hope that you laugh a lot this year. I hope that the adults in this world will get along so that your world will be better than it is now. Most of all, I hope that you will know that you are loved. Your daddy and I love you more than anything in this world and would do anything for you. Every day I thank God for giving you to us. Happy New Year my babies.

Love,
Mom